Lazy-Portrait Narrow-Edge Printing System for High-Speed Duplex Web
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed duplex variable data printing requires both black and color-capable printing heads to span the entire width of pages, leading to increased costs due to the higher expense of color-capable heads and potential web breakage from cross-wise perforations.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for printing in a lazy-portrait format, where the narrow-edges of pages are mated, reducing the width required for color-capable printing heads and aligning perforations with the web to prevent web breakage, using a continuous web with multiple printing lanes and flipping or cutting to assemble documents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If color-capable printing heads span the entire width of pages in traditional portrait format, then complete color printing is achieved, but cost increases due to expensive color-capable heads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent rotates the printing layout from traditional portrait orientation to landscape orientation, changing the dimensional arrangement of printed pages. This allows color printing heads to cover only the width of individual pages rather than spanning multiple page widths, reducing the required color head width while maintaining complete color printing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the printing process by separating color printing operations from black-and-white printing operations. Color-capable printing heads are used only where color is required (reducing their effective width requirement), while black-and-white printing heads handle the remaining content, thereby reducing overall system cost
2Ease of operation
If cross-wise perforations are used to separate printed pages, then page separation is achieved, but web breakage occurs reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the symmetry of page arrangement from traditional side-by-side portrait pages to landscape pages arranged horizontally. This asymmetric reconfiguration allows perforations to run lengthwise along the web rather than cross-wise, maintaining page separability while preventing web breakage during processing
3Productivity
If traditional portrait format printing is used, then standard page orientation is maintained, but throughput decreases due to fewer sheets per minute
Solution Approach 1:
The patent rotates the printing layout from traditional portrait orientation to landscape orientation, changing the dimensional arrangement of printed pages. This allows more pages to be printed across the width of the continuous web material, increasing the number of sheets produced per minute while maintaining standard page dimensions and orientation for end use
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for printing documents on a continuous web of printable material by merging document data with form information and formatting the merged result into a printable simplexed or duplexed lazy-portrait narrow-edge-to-narrow-edge page format and printing the merged result to produce simplexed or duplexed lazy-portrait narrow-edge-to-narrow-edge pages on the continuous web of printable material.